Archive By Section - Letters to the Editor

The time is now for action to protect adequate water for Stanislaus County's future. The continuing drought, State law requiring Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and Plans due by 2020 /2022 (GSAs and GSPs), and recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey designating the Central Valley as the fastest sinking water level in the country necessitate swift action by our leaders. As 80 percent of the water used in California is directly used for agriculture and that industry is expanding in our county, the need for more water is growing. The League of Women Voters of California supports policies that ...

Mayor Soiseth's public workshop on Turlock roads reconfirmed what Turlock residents already know – the condition of Turlock roads is deplorable and there is no definitive plan to provide a dedicated source of funding to halt the deterioration of Turlock's transportation infrastructure. Last November, a majority of Turlock voters supported a sales tax that would have provided 100% of the funds raised to fix only Turlock roads, but it fell just short of the two-thirds voter approval needed.

Over the last few weeks, this Council has started a 100-day process of establishing a renewed strategic plan and reviewing our department budgets line-by-line. It is my firm belief that we, as a Council, have a responsibility to boldly state that every planned expenditure in every department will be analyzed for effectiveness and efficiency. This includes some of Turlock's contracts for outside services, and one such contract had been awarded without competition since 1991.

Considering we live in one of the richest states in the country, as well as the ninth largest economy in the world, it makes sense to come to the conclusion that every Californian would have access to adequate healthcare.

February 10, 2015|
BY STATE SENATOR ANTHONY CANNELLA
|Letters to the Editor

This year, Aspiranet partnered with 39 Starbucks stores in Stanislaus and Merced counties for our annual Holiday Gift Drive, where we collected 810 gifts for the foster and at-risk youth we serve with the help and generosity of Starbucks customers. The holidays, which can be a difficult time for our youth because they are separated from parents and/or siblings, becomes a time when our youth feel the support of the community.

Lots of people are resolving to get more exercise in 2015 and many also want to do something worthwhile. I am a volunteer with an organization that helps people do both - Team in Training, part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

As I reflect on this past year, 2014, I am humbled by the outpouring of love and support for the ministry of the Turlock Gospel Mission. It has been a groundbreaking year with the beginning of the construction of 437 Broadway Street building for the year around shelter for men, women and children, which we hope to complete in 2015.

On Nov. 20, Aspiranet's Fusion Charter, an independent charter that opened on Sept. 8, celebrated the new school together with students, parents, educators and guests. The event kicked off with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Turlock Chamber of Commerce. I would like to thank Dr. Sonny Da Marto, superintendent, and Gil Ogden, director of student services for Turlock Unified School District, who were instrumental in executing the vision for Fusion Charter, and all of our community partners who made the opening of this school possible. Dr. Da Marto and Mr. Ogden also spoke on making the dream for ...

Desalination isn't just an obvious solution for the state's record drought; it's actually the only solution that will produce a reliable, drought proof water source. And while a comprehensive water management strategy is crucial in California, you can't manage what you don't have. The best most reliable measurement of California's water supply is the Sierra snowpack. In the 1960s one could find snow pack in the Sierra's at 10,000 feet year around. Today you're lucky if you can find snow at 14,000 feet, and the April 2014 rains didn't ...